Chronicle recommends: Mike Villines

CHRONICLE RECOMMENDS / State Insurance Commissioner

Assembly Minority Leader Mike Villines, R-Clovis, calls on the Assembly to reject a same-sex marriage measure before the legislature at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, June 5, 2007. Despite opposition the bill, authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, was approved by 42-34. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) less

Assembly Minority Leader Mike Villines, R-Clovis, calls on the Assembly to reject a same-sex marriage measure before the legislature at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, June 5, 2007. Despite ... more

Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP

Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP

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Assembly Minority Leader Mike Villines, R-Clovis, calls on the Assembly to reject a same-sex marriage measure before the legislature at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, June 5, 2007. Despite opposition the bill, authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, was approved by 42-34. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) less

Assembly Minority Leader Mike Villines, R-Clovis, calls on the Assembly to reject a same-sex marriage measure before the legislature at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, June 5, 2007. Despite ... more

Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP

Chronicle recommends: Mike Villines

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Rare is the politician willing to risk his political career by making an excruciating compromise because he is convinced it is in the best interests of the state. One such example is Mike Villines, who was forced out as Republican Assembly leader because he dared to break party ranks by agreeing to taxes in a 2009 deal that closed a $42 billion deficit, averting fiscal catastrophe.

Villines received a Profile in Courage award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, but gained the permanent enmity of factions within his party. He barely survived the GOP primary for insurance commissioner against a little-known opponent who spent less than $5,000.

The fortitude to do the right thing against immense pressure is a pretty good credential for insurance commissioner, the state officeholder charged with regulating and approving rates for homeowner and auto insurance.

Californians will be choosing between two capable and principled veteran state legislators on Nov. 2: Republican Villines, an Assembly member from Fresno County, and Democrat Dave Jones, an Assembly member from Sacramento.

In some elections, this has been an easy call because one of the campaigns is openly bankrolled by the insurance industry. This year, both Villines and Jones have refused to accept industry-related contributions.

Jones has tried to portray Villines as the industry candidate with the argument that past insurer contributions were included in the money the Republican nominee shifted from his legislative campaign account. It's an unfair reach, especially in light of Villines' record of independence. Also, it must be noted that Jones has received many contributions from trial lawyers, who are frequent adversaries of insurance companies and thus have an interest in state regulation.

"I'm not beholden to anybody," Villines said. He said he viewed the insurance commissioner as the "strongest consumer protection job in the state" and his priority would be to keep rates low and to attack the levels of fraud that are costing each Californian an average of $500 a year. One of his areas of focus would be holding down workers compensation rates, an area of immense concern to small businesses.

Jones, a legal aid lawyer, has been impressive as a legislator. He does his homework and takes on politically sensitive issues of his own, such as authoring a bill to hold local governments responsible for the risk of approving development in flood-prone areas. He unsuccessfully pushed legislation this year that would have expanded the authority of the insurance commissioner to improve health premiums.

Villines, who opposed the Jones bill, said he was confident that with a system of greater transparency, "I can shame" health insurers into keeping rates reasonable.

Villines has shown he can balance competing interests and is willing to take the heat for doing the right thing. In a close call between good choices, he gets our endorsement.